Putin visits a disputed island; Japan lodges protest

On August 14, 2026, Putin visited a disputed island in the Kuril Islands, which Japan claims, and Japan lodged a protest. Tokyo said it was considering countermeasures, according to NHK and Kyodo News. The Globe and Mail wrote that the visit caused outrage in Japan.

The United States backed Japan's sovereignty over the disputed islands after the visit, and the US ambassador in Tokyo recognized Japan's sovereignty over the archipelago, according to Le Figaro and Al Arabiya. Lavrov accused Japan of remilitarization and closer coordination with the US.